


an autumnal equinox night's dream

by TheSpaceCoyote



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Animal Traits, Autumn, Candy Witch AU, Chubby Armitage Hux, Comfort Food, Crack Treated Seriously, Fae & Fairies, M/M, Magic, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Weight Gain, Witch Kylo Ren, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:00:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27291586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSpaceCoyote/pseuds/TheSpaceCoyote
Summary: Hux and Kylo visit the annual autumn festival hosted by the local fae folk, to indulge in all the sights, smells, and especially the tastes that it has to offer.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren
Comments: 7
Kudos: 28
Collections: Home Sweet Home





	an autumnal equinox night's dream

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a little fluff fic to celebrate the anniversary of the first Candy Witch AU fic. I wrote this mostly for all my friends who have helped this AU come alive over the past year. Thank you guys so much! I hope you all like it!

Hux stands in front of the peppermint-striped mirror in his and Kylo’s shared bedroom, fiddling with his reflection. As opposed to the usual, comfortable clothes he favors during the fall—he has a wardrobe full of cashmere sweaters and loose-fitting but not quite baggy slacks that can attest to that—he instead sports an ensemble that’s a little less casual. 

He turns from side to side in the mirror, looking his outfit up and down. Though he’s far larger than the average man—and has been, for quite some time now—Hux feels a surge of self-confidence as he examines how neat and coordinated his outfit looks, how well it tailors to his weight. Not trying to hide it, but complement it. 

Colorwise, he likes that he matches the changing leaves right outside of Kylo’s home. His pinstriped marmalade shirt, made of a material silkier than any Hux had ever felt in the non-magical world, floats beneath a waistcoat patterned alternately with silhouettes of rusty leaves, and frolicking fall animals embroidered in gold and copper, their eyes of sewn-in hard candy crystals. Pants of dark, orange corduroy wrap like twin hugs around his considerable thighs and hips, held up by warm brown bracers. His feet tip in comfortable leather loafers, dashing enough but not so stiff and formal that he’ll have trouble walking in them. 

After all, the last thing Hux wants to do is risk wearing something that might hurt his feet, and relegate him to a chair for the majority of the evening. No, not tonight. Not when it promises to be one of the highlights of the whole season.

The annual autumn festival, hosted by the forest’s local fae. 

Hux knows the fae well thanks to Kylo. Occasionally, they’ll venture deep into the forest to attend the monthly markets that draw magical creatures from all over to sell their wares. Hux smiles gently to himself, rubbing his hand over the front of his tremendous belly. The share of his weight gain that wasn’t the fault of Kylo’s baking could _certainly_ be attributed to the unique but no less delicious treats many of the fae offered at their stalls. He can only imagine what kind of confections they’ll have prepared for such an important event as the festival. 

Hux’s making sure all of his hems are perfectly tucked into place, and that the acorn-cinched bowtie around his collar is perfectly straightened, when there’s a soft rap at the bedroom door. 

“Pudding? Are you almost ready? We still have to put on the finishing touches to our costumes!”

Hux glances over his shoulder just as Kylo nudges open the door, sticking his messy-haired head through.

“Oh wow, pudding!” Kylo pushes open the door the rest of the way, beaming. “You look amazing!”

Kylo, as expected, is dressed in entirely black, though he ditched his tight-fitting V-necks for a long-sleeved black shirt and an actual tie, albeit one emblazoned with a silver foil moon against a backdrop of stars. Over that, a blazer hangs around his broad shoulders, hemmed just above the knee and raggedly tapered in the back, like a tailcoat that had been caught and savaged in the teeth of some beast. Some of his gaudier jewelry had been tastefully scaled back, though he still sported danging, skull-shaped earrings, a wrought iron bracelet, and of course—the matching ring to the one Hux sported on his left hand. He had even combed his hair back, though not enough to tame the errant strands of wavy hair that sprang up along his scalp. 

Hux doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to how effortlessly handsome his husband looks. Pure witchcraft. 

“So you’re ready, then?” Kylo says, leaning his shoulder against the doorframe. With a gruff purr, Vader skates past his feet, prowling over to Hux to rub against his leg. 

“I’m ready, but you haven’t even given me a hint when it comes to what those ‘finishing touches’ are supposed to be.” 

“I wanted them to be a surprise. You’re gonna love it.” Kylo pushes away from the doorframe, clearing the gap between himself and Hux in a few long strides. He carefully takes both of Hux’s hands as Vader continues to twine between their legs, rumbling with purrs. “Close your eyes, okay?”

Hux complies. “You’re not going to change my clothes into taffy like you did on April Fool’s Day, right?”

He hears Kylo giggle. “You made a mistake teaching me about _that_ human tradition…but no, not this time. Just stay still.”

Hux keeps his eyes and mouth closed shut, even as he starts to feel a tingling sensation, beginning where Kylo is holding hands and spreading outwards, along his arms and into his chest, before concentrating, oddly enough, at the top of his head and his lower back, near the base of his spine. Sweat pricks at his throat as the warmth magnifies, expanding, like a bubble swelling in a pot of thick caramel, before— _pop_!

Hux yelps, eyes flying open at the sudden rush of sensation. “What was that? What did you do—?”

“You like mine?” Kylo grins, showing off two long, newly grown canines, but they aren’t what gives Hux pause. No, the thing that draws his eyes up is the pair of jet-black wolf ears that have seemingly sprung up out of nowhere atop Kylo’s head. 

“You...are those…?”

“You should check yourself out.” Kylo places his hands on Hux’s upper arms, pivoting his husband until Hux faces the mirror. He rests his chin on Hux’s shoulder. “Look.”

Hux’s eyes widen. Atop his head sits his own pair of ears, only red-furred, with little black tips. 

“And that’s not all…” Hux yelps, almost jumping out of his skin as Kylo tugs on _something_ growing out of his tailbone. Turning sideways exposes a massive, bushy red fox tail, sprouting out of a convenient hole in the seat of his slacks. Kylo’s own sleek, black tail wags in approval. 

“ _Now_ we’re ready to go to the festival,” he says with a grin against Hux’s cheek. 

* * *

The pair walk through the woods, past tall, ancient trees still full of their fall colors, even more vibrant in the glowing light of the sunset. They continue on along the small path, Kylo holding Hux’s hand to make sure he doesn’t lose his balance and topple over, until they come across a wide, open clearing amongst the trees. In the middle, sits what looks like an arch, a structure that looks more than a little out of place in the middle of a vast forest. It stands a few feet taller than them both and twice as wide as Hux’s considerable girth, and is comprised of a complex braid of slender, ashy-barked branches. As they approach the arch, Hux spies numerous shallow, coppery votive nestled inside within each narrow cavity formed by the knotted wood.

“Just one moment, pudding.” Kylo walks forward, hand momentarily slipping out of Hux’s. In response his new fox tail flitted about in front of him, curling into his palm so Hux could pet at the fluffy white tip as he watches Kylo approach the arch. 

Raising his hand, Kylo lets his eyes fall shut. His fingers splay against the air simmering between the arch, tips of his black-painted nails alighting on some pattern invisible to Hux’s eyes. The air buzzes, wind picking at the fallen leaves, sending them aflutter. Then, flame-red sparks fly from Kylo’s fingers, zigging and zagging alone intangible pathways, patterning like wood grain, like cobwebs, like all bewitching natural structures, until they connect with the inner curve of the arch. 

And all at once, all the votives in all the branch nooks illuminate in pinprick orange flames, the space between the arch flashing so brightly Hux has to squeeze his eyes shut. His new ears pin back against his head, tail gripped tightly in his palms, until he can tell through his eyelids that the brilliant light has faded away.

“Here we are, pudding.” Hux feels Kylo’s fingers carefully ease open the grip he has on his tail, holding his hand once more. Hux’s ears prick back up to attention as the sound of distant fife music floats through the air, and he opens his eyes. 

No longer is the arch empty. 

Instead, between the woven, candle-lit branches lies a whole new world. 

A line of colorful stalls now extends from each wooden pillar, decorated with chains of autumn flowers, orange and copper pennants, and lanterns of all different sizes and shapes and makes, some crafted from beaten bronze, some from wood marbled like oil in water, and some from what looked like translucent, candy-red energy. At least one, and often two or three, of the winged fae, their stature half as much as his or Kylo’s, flit about their stalls, their slender arms clutched around bags of sugar, bundles of decorated twigs, woven twine balls, packaged treats, wooden steins of steaming apple cider, stuffed dolls made of linen or rabbit-fur—and so much more that Hux’s head swam trying to count it all. Many more fae drift and skip between the stalls, giggling amongst themselves as they browse an array of confections and crafted goods, or try their luck at a few festival games, striving to win some of the prizes dangling above their heads. 

“Pudding?” Kylo gives his hand a squeeze, snapping Hux out of his trance. Hux glances his way, lips still parted in surprise.

“Oh. Sorry, I was just…”

“It looks like a lot of fun, huh?”

“It does.” He squeezes Kylo’s hand back, turns towards the busy festival. He takes one step, then another, growing in excitement and leaving behind his surprise as he draws closer to the arch, the smells of the festival food growing stronger, the joyous laughter of the fae pricking at his fox ears. By the time they pass through the arch with a pop of gold shimmer, like pollen, he’s the one leading Kylo, who smiles and laughs behind him. 

“You’re acting like I never feed you,” Kylo jokes as Hux tugs him over to the nearest booth, staffed by a fae on the taller side, with cream skin, freckles, and bright purple eyes. She balances a large wooden tray in both hands, grinning brightly and holding it out to the pair as they approach. 

“Pumpkin and goat’s milk cheese-stuffed turnover for you, dear?” She doesn’t even have to ask twice, Hux’s tail already wagging faster than the eye can follow as he picks up one of the steaming pastries with an excited “yes please!”

His eyes light like sparkling emeralds up as he sinks his teeth into the pastry, molten cheese oozing out, thick and shiny. Kylo flicks his finger, zapping away the droplets before they stain Hux’s waistcoat. 

“Careful, pudding.” Hux blushes, wiping his mouth with a handkerchief Kylo produces as soon as he finishes scarfing down the turnover. 

“It’s _so_ good,” he says to the fae, whose smile widens even more, bunching up dimples in her freckled cheeks. “The pecans are a wonderful touch. They really add just the right amount of texture!” he gushes. 

“Thank you, dear! If you’re not too full by the end of the festival, you two can always come back around for more!” she promises, waving them off as they move on to the next stall, which offers burlap-wrapped cookies—featuring every flavor from pumpkin spice and salted caramel to brandied fig and smoky honey-cinnamon—alongside hanging talismans cobbled together from fragrant woods, animal furs, and polished stones. They come away from that booth with a new protective charm for the front door of the cottage, as well as a sampler’s bag of all the cookie flavors that they pass back and forth, giving each one a testing nibble, deciding on their own personal favorites. Unexpectedly, Hux finds himself most fond of the smoked honey and maple ale flavors, though the old standards certainly hold up. 

They stop at each booth as they walk, zigging and zagging across the broad, leaf-strewn aisle, not wanting to skip a single one for fear of missing out on all the magical delights the fae have prepared for the festival. Hux isn’t quite sure if Kylo’s magic has enhanced his sense of smell alongside granting him his fox tail and ears, or if the food the fae have prepared is just that sumptuous. In the end, however, it hardly matters once he gets his fill of treats.

And there’s no lack of delicious morsels—by the time he and Kylo have wended their way through about half of the festivals booths, he’s already sampled and scarfed down everything from palm-sized, deep dish chocolate cups filled with marshmallow and almond butter, to cedarwood bowls of sweet curry, filled with carrots and skull-shaped mushrooms, to caramel apples dusted with crushed acorns and drizzled with orange icing, to bags of kettle corn drizzled with maple syrup and dotted with pecans, to pumpkin-shaped rosettes, fried to a tender crisp on an ornate iron mold and dusted with powdered sugar, to pinwheel candies striped red and gold and orange and tasting of pink peppercorn and apple, to a cornish hen on a stick, stuffed with pecan-cranberry filling, to hot lemon-elderberry toddies, served in edible sugar shot glasses that somehow don’t melt except in the mouth. Currently, he holds a rod of fluted fried dough, filled with chestnut custard cream and dusted with cinnamon-clove sugar, in one hand, with the other encourages a couple of miniature woodland animals, composed entirety of animated red sugar candy, to frolic from the soft plains of his palm, over his fingers and towards the pinnacles of his knuckles. The glow from the floating lanterns that light the way above scintillating along each stiff strand of hair, each marbled confection eye, each dainty paw or carmine hoof. 

“You ever going to eat those guys?” Kylo teases as he leans in, snatching the last of the dough snack from its gold-foil wrapper. Hux turns to him with a soft _tut._

“I feel a little bad eating something that’s alive…” Hux lifts his hand up, watching as a ruby-red deer scamper to the tip of his finger, before retreating back towards his wrist. 

“Enchanted, pumpkin. It’s just candy that has a couple of charms put upon it.”

“Still…”

“Tell ya what…” Kylo produces a black drawstring bag of out nowhere, something Hux is fairly used to. “How about we store them for later, then we can make a decision? It also might be kind of funny to see how Vader and Millie deal with them.” He smirks to himself, no doubt imagining the sight of the two cats, running across the cottage floors, coursing after a herd of candied elk.

Once the enchanted candies are safely tucked into Kylo’s bag, Hux begins looking for his next treat. The scent from one of the larger booths—looking more like a red canvas tent than a simple stall—piques his interest the most, and he tugs on Kylo’s hand, leading him in the proper direction. 

“It smells like one of the coffee shops we had in the city.” Hux ducks his head in, delighted to find he’s right. The tent is lit from the inside by warm spherical lanterns, filled with the buzz of enthused fireflies. The smell is strong, like coffee and bubbling milk and the comforting medley of fall spices. A couple of squashy red chairs sit inside of the tent, mostly clustered with gossipy festival-goers, including a group of individuals sporting animal ears and tails, much like Kylo and Hux’s. They turn their heads as the pair enters, conversation falling quiet, with even the small, dragon-like creature curled up on the table amongst emptied pumpkin goblets raising its head to look. Hux gives one, dressed in pink clothes with rabbit ears sprouting from a bushel of curly hair, a small smile and a nod, causing them to grin and whisper something to the deer-horned fae sitting next to them. A black lion-like tail swishes under the table. 

“Those guys are from over by the Western mountains,” Kylo murmurs to Hux as they approach the little counter, “don’t worry, they’re harmless. Just curious about you and me, since we look a lot like they do.” Hux hums in understanding. Of course, the forests were wide and mysterious places, he’s bound to meet some folk he doesn’t recognize. 

They stop at the counter where a fae with skin of burnished gold and no such tail or ears works at a machine that looks nothing like any coffee maker Hux has ever seen before, gold gears and pistons clicking within a box of lacquered wood as steaming amber liquid dispenses into hand-sized, hollowed-out pumpkins. 

Hux takes a deep breath, exhales with a smile. “Don’t they smell amazing?” 

Kylo chuckles. “Smells like the house when I’m baking pumpkin pie. You want one?”

“Can we get two?” Hux’s eyes glimmer, and his bushy tail begins to wag, enough to demolish any joking objections Kylo might have had lined up. He makes some small talk with the fae, his own tail bopping in excitement, before returning to Hux with two steaming pumpkins, one topped with a dusted of cinnamon, the other the same—plus a mountain of whipped cream. Hux grins, giddy as a young child receiving a magnificent present as he cradles the pumpkin in both hands, licking off the peak of the whipped cream before testing a sip.

“You are going to have to learn to make coffee like this,” he says to Kylo, cheeks shining with a contented blush, as they exit the tent.

They stop a few more times, to grab some final snacks, peruse an assortment of carved-antler jewelry, and play a few games—with Kylo even besting the odds at a faerie ring toss, catching a wooden hoop on the edge of a candy cap mushroom to the tune of one handstitched fox plush prize, now tucked in the crook of Hux’s arm. The sun has long set behind the trees, bathing the forest in an early, dusk-purple tint. 

Eventually, the end of the line of stalls expands out into a wide circle ringed with rows of long, loew benches. In the center sits a large bonfire, blazing bright and occasionally shooting out shimmering sparkles that hang in the night sky above the clearing; taking on the shapes of leaves and animals, or runes, some of which Hux knows to mean “giving” or “unity,” while others remain a mystery—though look beautiful all the same. 

Kylo guides Hux towards one of the outermost benches, where he’ll have more space to move around when it’s time to get up and go back home. They settle in next to each other, thighs sandwiched close together, the side of Hux’s plump belly molding up against Kylo as they cuddle. They sip from their pumpkins in between small talk and kisses, their fluffy tails happily twining. Hux’s ears flick and twitch as he drains his drink, smacking his lips with a delighted purr. 

“I think you like being a fox, pumpkin.” Kylo murmurs, giving Hux’s hand a squeeze. “Maybe I won’t dispel the charm as quickly as I thought…”

“I’m not going to say no..as long as I can spend a little more time with my handsome wolf of a husband.” Hux snuggles in close, letting his head rest against Kylo’s shoulder as they watch the bonfire spit out a flurry of hawks, a herd of deer, and finally, as if addressing the young lovers below—a rounded little fox and a larger, leaner-looking wolf, who nuzzled noses and sprinted off, together, into the starry night above, as Hux and Kylo nudge in for another kiss. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hit me up on [Tumblr](http://thethespacecoyote.tumblr.com) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/heir_of_breath7/).


End file.
